Car-coupling.



W. S. LBNNON.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.30, 1911.

1,054,298, Patented Feb.25, 1913.

UNITED STATES WATSON S. LENNON, OF TUCSON, ARIZONA.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25,1913.

Application filed December 30, 1911. Serial No. 668,727.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, VA'rsoN S. LENNoN, residing at Tucson, in the county of Pima and State of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the` following is a specification.

My present invention, which in its general nature relates to the Janney type of car couplers, more especially comprehends improvements on the car coupling construction shown in my Patents No. 710,283, dated September 30, 1902, and No. 984,946, dated February 21, 1911.

This invention, which seeks to simplify the general arrangement of the knuckling or swinging jaw and the locking devices disclosed in my former patents, more especially has for its purpose to so construct and cooperatively arrange the several parts whereby they present a stable and positively operating coupling means, when adjusted for use, and whereby the several parts can individually be manufactured at a reduced cost and the operation of fitting the several parts is rendered more expeditious and inexpensive than heretofore.

In its more subordinate nature, my invention consists in the peculiar construction and novel arrangement of parts all of which will be hereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a draw head embodying my improvements. Fig. 2, is a horizontal section of the coupling hea-d, the knuckle or swinging jaw being shown at its coupling or inner' position in full lines and at its outer or uncoupled position in dotted lines. Fig. 3, is a transverse section of the coupling head taken on the line 3 3 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a similar view taken on the line 4 4 on Fig. 2, the uncoupling lever being shown at its first or normal position by the dotted lines X, to its midway or its latch lifted position in full lines, and in its coupling jaw out-thrust position by the dotted lines y. Fig. 5, is a detail vertical section of the keeper pin device and the actuating lever taken substantially on the line 5-5 on Fig. 2. Fig. 6, is a detail perspective view of the swinging or knuckle jaw. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the gravity dropped locking latch member.

Fig. 8, is a detail perspective view of the latch lifting and knuckle jaw moving lever hereinafter referred to. Fig. 9, is a detail view of the keeper pin device hereinafter explained; Fig. 10, is a detail view hereinafter referred to.

In my present construction, the draw head, which is of the Janney type, has the usual guide horn 10, at one side, and a pair of apertured ears 11 at the opposite side, between which the knuckle or couplin jaw 6 is fulcrumed and detachably held therebetween in the manner presently explained. At the side adjacent the guide horn 10, the draw head mortise has a vertical wall 14 that forms a lower continuation of one wall of a pocket or housing 15, in a cap portion 16 of the draw head in which, and the mortise, is removably held the gravity dropped latch or locking block 7, shown in detail in Fig.V 7, of the drawing. By referring to the said Fig. 7 it will be seen the block 7 has a long base portion 70 that rests and rides upon the upper edge of a lifting lever 8, which extends upwardly through an elongated slot 17, in the bottom of the draw head, and has lateral studs 81-81 that form rocker pintles for seating in sockets 18-18 formed in the bottom of the draw head. mortise, the latter' having beveled portions 18a for facilitating the ready removal of the draw head mouth, as well as the fitting of the said lever to its operative position. At one side and at its upper end the lever 8 has a lateral and upwardly inclined flange like extension 82 which acts as the knuckle jaw ejector', as will presently be more fully explained, and the lower end of the lever, which pro]ects below the bottom of the draw head has an aperture 83 to receive the uncoupling chain S11- see Figs. 1 and 4.

The knuckle or coupling jaw 6, shown in detail in Fig. G, in my present form is substantially like the knuckle jaw shown in my Patent No. 710,283, referred to, it having the semi-circular bearings or fulcrum portions, see G5, Fig. 2, for engaging the like shaped bearings 12 (see Fig. 10) on the inner faces of the ears 11, and since this feature of my present construction of coupling and the provision made for slipping the jaw (S into and out of operative position between the ears is identical to the like parts shown in my former patent refererd to, further reference thereto is unnecessary. n

61 designates the-neck of the wing portion of the jaw 6 and the said neck rides through the restricted portion 13 of the draw head mortise and 62 is a shouldered seat on the upper face of the jaw wing onto which the locking latch block drops, and with which its shoulder portio-n 7 5 interlocks and holds the coupling jaw to its inthrust position, as in Figs. 2 and 3, and for holding` the said block from unnecessary jarring within its prescribed guideways, the lower end of the block has a shouldered notch 7 6 that seats against the keeper pin 9 which also prevents accidental separation oi'' the parts, it being understood that when it is desired to remove the jaw 6 or the block 7 the keeper 9, held in place by a cotter pin 90, is iirst removed.

By referring now to Fig. 6, it will be noticed the outer face of the jaw wing has a deep curved recess 67 that opens through the lower edge of the said face. The eXtension 8l of the operating lever 8 always rides within the recess 67 in the knuckle wing piece and the said recess has its front wall 68 inclined and its rear wall made vertical, such formation of the recess walls being provided that when the lever has been swung up to lift the block 7 from the knuckle, its extension engages and rides upon the inclined edge 67 of the recess in the knuckle and in doing so it pushes the said knuckle out to its open position, it being obvious from the drawing, that' when the lever has completed its up swing movement and the knuckle is pushed out, the said extension 81 will be at the top of the said recess and abutting the straight edge 68 of such recess, it being further apparent that under such condition a swing of the lever in the opposite direction will cause the extensions to bear against and ride down on the said straight edge 68 and in consequence swing the knuckle back to its closed position, thus providing, as it were, a positive engagement of the lever with the knuckle for swinging the said knuckle to its closed or open positions. The inner end of the lever 8 normally rests in a pocket 18b in the bottom of the draw head mortise, as indicated in dott-ed lines on Fig. 8, and shown in Fig. 2, and the said pocket is positioned tangentially, with respect to the fulcrum for the jaw 6, it being also clear from Figs. 3 and 8, that the block engaging edge and the jaw engaging member of the lever 8 are in diii'erent horizontal planes.

By reason of the construction and arrangement of the several parts, as described and shown, the said parts can be economically made and cooperatively assembled.

The operation of my invention and its advantages are believed to be apparent from the above taken in connection with the draw; ing. Then in the normal position, see Figs. 2, 3 and a, the actuating lever has the position shown in dotted lines X on Fig. 4:. To uncouple, the lever 8 is pulled in the direction indicated, and in its upward'swing it first lifts the block 7 off the jaw wing, and

at the same time moves the extension up into the recess in the said wing, it being understood that the parts are relatively so timed in their movement and connection that so soon as the block 7 is released from the jaw 6, t-he lever extension engages the inclined wall of the recess in the jaw and it, the lever passes to the dotted position y on Fig. 4f, the jaw being thrust outwardly to the position shown in dotted lines on Fig. 2, ready to automatically couple up with an opposing coupling head.

i/Vhat I claim is:

l. A car coupling comprising a draw head, a knuckle pivoted thereto, said knuckle having a wing piece, a gravity dropped block within the draw head to engage the said wing piece and hold the knuckle closed, a pivoted lever mounted on the draw head, a single continuous connection between said lever and said wing piece, means for operating the said lever whereby to cause it to lirst disengage the locking member 4from the knuckle, and then swing the knuckle to its open position under one direction of movement and said lever operating to move the knuckle to its reverse or closed position when it, the said lever, is moved in an opposite direction.

2. In a car coupling, a draw head, a knuckle pivoted thereon and having a wing piece, a locking block for engaging said wing piece to lock the knuckle closed, said locking block having a notch or recess, a keeper including a shank portion, said draw head having an aperture through which said shankportion projects, a pin passing through said shank portion to secure said keeper in place, said keeper having an end projecting into said locking block notch, said keeper having a projection to project under said locking block when said end is in said notch, substantially as shown and described.

3.1`n a car coupling, a draw head, a knuckle pivoted thereon having a wing piece, said wing piece having a recess in its outer face, that opens through its lower edge, the outer wall of said recess being inclined, the rear wall of the recess being straight, a gravity dropped locking block in the draw head for engaging the wing piece to lock the said knuckle closed, and a means for elevating the block, and shifting the knuckle to its open and closed positions, said means comprising a pivoted lever having an outer end projected outside of the draw head and an inner end projected into the said draw head, said inner end of the lever and the straight edge of the said including` a member always in engagement knuckle on a reverse swing of the lever.

with and supporting the lockin block, and

a member that projects into tlgle recess in VATSON S' LENNON' the knuckle Wing, said member being con- Witnesses:

structed to engage the inclined edge of the H. BOGAN,

knuckle recess under one swing movement B. C. BRIOHTA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

